Light processing systems often involve combining various primary colors of light on a display such that a particular color and/or image is produced. One way of effecting such combination is through the use of digital micromirror devices (DMD) available from Texas Instruments. In general, primary colors of light are shined on a DMD array having numerous micromirrors. Each micromirror is selectively controlled to reflect each primary color of light onto a particular portion of a display, such as a pixel. Each micromirror can be used to switch a pixel on or off by changing an angle of a corresponding mirror. The pixels of the DMD can maintain their “on” or “off” state for controlled display times. Conventionally, either three or more separate color-specific light sources are used or a single white-light source is used in combination with a color wheel to provide at least three primary colors that can be mixed on the display. Each individual micromirror reflects a color-specific light for an appropriate period of time such that the viewer's eye integrates the various colors and perceives an image made up of a plurality of different colors.
Conventionally, each micromirror device corresponds to a pixel on the display. Thus the resolution of the display is limited by the number of micromirrors that can be effectively manufactured. Consumers are desirous of having increased resolution. Thus, approaches to increase the resolution of the display have been developed.
One such approach is sometimes referred to as dithering, in which the display is shifted a fraction of a pixel, giving the illusion of double the resolution than that which would normally occur. One challenge with such a technique is achieving the shift. One approach utilizes a mirror that receives the light otherwise intended for the display and reflects it onto the display in a shifted position or a non-shifted position.